Kashmir was close to the heart of comrade Krishan Dev Sethi—who witnessed history of glorious erstwhile State to its downgrading as Union Territory and so was his love for Mirpur in Pakistan administered Kashmir and Jammu region.
After completing our office work, I along with my journalist colleagues from Kashmir, including Nazir Ganaie and Sheikh Saleem decided to visit the legendary communist politician, KD Sethi and learn about J&K’s historic events. We went to Dalpatian Mohallah after passing through narrow lanes. Sethi sahib was inside the room of his residence and it seemed he was expecting some guests at his home like usually people used to visit him.
He welcomed all of us to his residence. Sethi was overwhelmed when my colleagues introduced themselves to him as journalists from Kashmir. The moment could not be narrated in words how he reacted while expressing his love for Kashmir valley, and Jammu region that too in an affectionate Mirpurian style.
“I can’t explain my love and longing for Kashmir. I get into my youthful, activism days when I meet people from Kashmir. I get overwhelmed, traumatized when I get to hear the stories on the current Kashmir situation,” Sethi reacted in joy while trying to stand-up and welcome his guests.
After the news of Sethi’s death appeared, senior colleague at Greater Kashmir, NazirGanaie recalled “A few years back, it was a great opportunity to interact with comrade KD Sethi Sahib when he was in his nineties and discuss historical events of J&K.” “I was introduced to him by a friend of SethiSahab. Then I made it a point to drop by at his Wazarat road residence quite often for regular interactions and listen to his interesting stories,” Ganai said in his social media post. “SethiSahab’sMirpuri style and Mirpuriyat would always stand him out and make him a unique voice in the Jammu crowd. Salute to the comrade,” he recalled, and said that “It was an end of an iconic era.”
After patiently listening to all of us, Sethi stood up from his bed and turned up towards the bookshelf—where one could spot a treasure trove of books on J&K history. While showing us the books. Sethi was trying to make us understand about the history in the light of historic evidence and pre-1947 events while referring to certain important books. He shared his affection for Jammu as well as Mirpur. Mirpur was his birthplace where he grew-up and wanted to return to meet his childhood friend before his death.
He talked about how he was welcomed in Mirpur when he went there, what happened in 1947 and after the partition of India-Pakistan to the erstwhile J&K.